Massage device



Ot. 15, 1940. 7 4| l BRlcHlERx-oLoMal ET AL 2,218,081-

' MASSAGE DEVICE Filed March 12, 193g -J Lx::-l-

i f Z f f Patented Cet. l5, 1940 UNITED STATES MASSAGE DEVICE Luigi Brahim-colombi, Lina Romanelli,

Odoardo .ZappullLand Florence, Italy .i

Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,476

- In Italy March 27, 1937 3 Claims.

The present invention is represented by a portable appliance, easy to manipulate and adapted to apply massage in the various cases that may occur,'either for muscular treatment, or aesthetic therapy, as well as for varicose veins, intestinal troubles, neuralgia and massage of the gums.

In order to ,ensure a massage that shall, as far as possible, meet the requirements in View,

g the'` elimination of all direct mechanical connection between the motor and the massage-applying pads in contact with the skin has been aimed at: which mechanical connection is the cause of unavoidable stiffness and unevenness of the transmitted movement-recourse being had, instead, to a pneumatic connection.

The invention will be understood from the following description and accomp-anying drawing, which schematically presents forms of the practical carrying out thereof.

. In said drawing Fig. 1 shows thepneumatic impulse generating portion together with the rotatory motor;

Fig. 2 shows an example, in longitudinal .section, of a pneumatic impulse generator with an electro-magnetic, pendulum-action motor;

Fig. 3 shows the whole of the working portion of the appliance.

According to the example represented in Figs. 1 and 2, the appliance is composed of two partsan alternating air-impulse generating assemblage (Fig..1) and a receiving device (Fig. 3). The latter is connected to the former by means of a flexible tube a. which transforms the said pneumatic impulses into the movements suitable for the desired massage. The generating assemblage is composed of a motor b which is provided with a crank c connected to connecting rods d of flexible diaphragme e. The diaphragme e are disposed between the disks f and are integral with the said connecting-rods, while the outer edges of the membranes are retained by the rings g in order to form a cover for the air-chamber or box. The flexible diaphragm with the central disks f thus acts like the piston of a sucking and forcing pump, viz. it causes a drawing in o-f air on its moving away from the bottom of the chamber and an expulsion thereof on its approaching the bottom, viz. a vacuum and a compression relatively to the outer air.

Of course, instead of the two pistons at 180, as indicated in the drawing and to which recourse has been had in order to balance the charge relatively to the motive shaft, a single piston-pump may be made use of.

To the wall of the chamber h there may, if so (Cl. 12S- 48) desired, be applied a discharge or an aspirating valve; in which case the pressure will always prove either higher or lower than that of the ambient air, according to the type of valve chosen. The use of a valve may, above all, be i5 useful in cases where a single piston is employed, because a variable charge of the connecting-rod is thus ensured, in a single direction, relatively to the motive shaft. In any case, the effect on the receiving-'part is'equivalent.

The pneumatic impulses, passing through the orifices i, the tubes 1c, connected by means of the coupling Z to the flexible tube d., connected, in

turn, toy the receiving part indicated in Fig. 3,

proceed,` through the tube m 'located in the i5 handle n, to meet the piston vor receiving airchamber o. f .i

Within this chamber the impulses bring about the rise and the descent of the pistonformed by the disks p 'and by the flexible membrane q which` is kept adherent to the outer edge of the said 'chamber byjthe ring r. To the centre of the disks p there Lis xed a support s, provided with an aperture t into which arek inserted or screwed the pads for applying the massage, and to which there isthus communicated a vertical vibratory or percussive` movement against surface to be massaged, if the latter beparallel to the flexible, membrane. The flexibility of the membrane confers a compound .character on the vertical movement, according to the weight and position of the pad affixed to the support s.

In order to be venabled to make use of a movement being parallel to the surface to be massaged or rubbed, 1n casethe latter should be normal to the membrane, the movement of the latter is communicated throughga lever u that may be mounted uponpthe support s (and oscillating on the fulcrum v) tothe pads inserted or screwed into the aperturetlat the freel end-of the lever u. if() This, too is a rubbing movement as regards the parts in the vicinity of the point at which the pad is fixed to the aperture t1 of the lever, while also acquiring percussive.characteristics towards the pads periphery. 4

In case of need, the lever may be removed, the fulcrum-carrier t being detachable on the loosening of the screw w from the support a: fixed to the ring 1'. y

Finally, by screwing or otherwiseinserting the massage-applying element into the lever aperture t1 a rubbing movement is obtained when the plane of the said element is parallel to the plane of the membrane, but one of succession when same is normal to the membrane, viz. two movepulse-generator shown in Fig. 1.

ments both of which are very useful for muscular treatment and for varices.

With this end in view, the massage-applying element is so shaped as to be adaptable to parts of greater or less extent.

Of course, the best use may be made of the usual pads as employed for massage purposes, or of any others being suitable. y

The amplitude and to a certain extent the rapidity of the vibrations may be varied not only by acting upon the speed of the motor,

but also by adjusting the air-passage by throt-Vr tling the conduit thereof, for instance, or byproviding a regulatable derivation that shall cause a part of the air to escape into the open; or, in ne-for the purpose of maintaining constant the charge of the impulse-generator-Vby providing for a part of the air subtracted from the receiver being sent into another chamber, closed by a membrane.

As pointed out, the ensemble of the generator may differ from that described, viz., as indicated in Fig. 2, which sh-ows a generator permitting the obtainrnent of a greater flexibility and adaptability of the movement concerned, the arrangement being such as also to allow of a variability of vibration according to the Various working conditions. According to this example, the motor is constituted by anelectro-magnetic generator which replaces the rotatory motor imthe membrane ofy the air-displacing piston or pistons instead of receiving the alternating movement through a goose-neck actuated by a rotary motor, is actuated,`on the contrary, by an armature that is magnetically attracted by a special electro-magnet. This generator` is `composed of the air-displacing pump 4, similar in its features to that described and illustrated above and relating to Fig. 1. vThe membrane 5 is connected through the connecting-rod 6, by means of the pin 7, to the support 8 oscillating on the shaft 9'; this shaft being xed to the frame I0 which assembles and supports the various parts of the entire apparatus.

To the support 8 there is ailxed the iron armature II, which is induced to move with a pendulating movement, attracted alternately by the electro-magnet I2. The alternating magnetization of the electro-magnet may be obtained either through a reversing system I3 directly actuated by the movable system of the apparatus, as is apparent from' the figure, or else be obtained independently, or by means of pneumatically actuated mechanical reversals or by electromagnetic reversals.v

Of course, instead of two electro-magnets, one only might be used, the actuating system, in this case, being reduced from a double to a singleaction one.

IThe oscillating armature system which pendulating features allows of the maximum utilization of the attraction of the electro-magnets, which may be rendered more or less uniform through a special shaping of the armature or of the pole shoes being resorted to.

The period of oscillation may be suitably reguwhat manner the same is to be In this case,`

' stitutes but a schematic form of example, given solely-as a practical showing of the invention, it being possible for the said invention to be varied as to forms and arrangements without,

however, departing from the concept underlying the said invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in performed, we declare that what we claim is:

l. A massage applicator comprising in combination with an air chamber,y adapted to be connected to a pulsator, and a diaphragm closing said chamber, a two-armed lever mounted on a fixed fulcrum disposed in front of said diaphragm eccentrically thereof, said lever having one arm thereof projecting radially to and connected with the center of said diaphragm, the other lever arm projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of said air chamber, and a massage pad carried by the end of said free lever arm.

2. A massage applicator comprising in cornbination with an air chamber, adapted to be connected to a pulsator, and a diaphragm closing said chamber, a support formed as a relatively thin column mounted on the outer face of said diaphragm centrally thereof and projecting axially from said diaphragm, a, two-armed lever mounted on a xed fulcrum disposed in front of said diaphragm eccentrically thereof, said lever having one arm projecting radially to and connected with said column, the other lever arm projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of said air chamber, and a massage pad carried by the end of said free lever arm.

3. A massage applicator, comprising a handle provided with an axial bore, means on the rear end of said handle to connect said bore with' a pulsator, a recess in the front end of the handle communicating with said bore, a diaphragm covering said recess and forming therewith a closed air chamber, a bracket mounted on the front end of said handle and projecting forwardly at one side of said diaphragm'past the transverse plane occupied by the latter, atwo-armed lever pivoted to said bracket for oscillations about an axis parallel to the plane of thediaphragm, said lever having its inner end projecting radially to and connected with the center of the diaphragm, and Ia massage pad mounted on the end of the outer free arm of said leven.

LUIGI BRICIHERI-COLOMBI. ODOARDO ZAPPULLI. LINA ROMANELLI.` 

